Eating on the Trail - Recommendations?

[retired jerry]

"and try them out at home prior to relying on them on a backpack."

Good idea, I think I'll go make some cookies and test them. Just for experimentation...

#10 can of freeze dried - you can put them in the freezer after you open the can. They should last a long time there.

[texasbb]

If it's just a lack of appetite, I have no advice. If "turned to sawdust in my mouth" means what it sounds like, then maybe you're not as hydrated as you think? One of the ways I can tell I'm not drinking enough is I don't like any of my snacks and they're hard to get down because they are dry and...sawdusty.

[Word Nerd]

This sounds like your body was mostly asking for very easy-to-digest calories, mostly carbohydrates. Apparently , it wanted fuel that it could transform and burn with the least possible work. On fairly short hikes of less than a week, I wouldn't get too hung up on proteins as long as you consume adequate calories and get some fiber so your gut doesn't slow to a crawl.

If your normal diet is largely fresh fruit and vegetables, you may want to experiment with freeze-dried fruit and vegetables. These are more expensive than dehydrated/dried versions, but will reconstitute to more closely resemble what your body is used to. You can order #10 cans of freeze-dried vegetables and fruit from beprepared.com for cheaper than most sources, but the big cans are a lot of food at once and don't last forever once you open them. This bulk-buying approach might allow you to experiment extensively with them at home ahead of time, though. Good luck!

This is excellent advice! I actually tested a lot of my food before I left - the breads I made pancake style in the skillet and the dinners I took. All those things I did the best with, too. I dried some fruits myself and left them at home. I think that since my husband had more backpacking experience than me, and he has a certain way he likes to do trail food, I just did what he did. But he actually eats that way at home too, especially if he is running late and needs to grab something quickly. I think I need to plan my food separately from his.

I like freeze-dried food, and have used a lot of it in the dinners we took. I put the opened containers in a zip-top bag and freeze them, and mostly they stay the same in the freezer for well over a year.

[Word Nerd]

If it's just a lack of appetite, I have no advice. If "turned to sawdust in my mouth" means what it sounds like, then maybe you're not as hydrated as you think? One of the ways I can tell I'm not drinking enough is I don't like any of my snacks and they're hard to get down because they are dry and...sawdusty.

Definitely something to consider. Thanks for your thoughts.

[Charley]

I think that since my husband had more backpacking experience than me, and he has a certain way he likes to do trail food, I just did what he did. But he actually eats that way at home too, especially if he is running late and needs to grab something quickly. I think I need to plan my food separately from his.

I think you should just eat what you crave when you're backpacking. That may be very, very different from what your partner or anyone might want.

I also second the recommendation to focus, while on trips less than a week, on foods that you can eat, and not worry too much about vitamins and minerals, though I wouldn't cut out protein entirely.

And... if you don't have a dehydrator, I highly recommend buying one. You could grow your own backpacking foods! I just dehydrated tomatoes and I can't wait to whip those out on a long trip.

[leiavoia]

+1 for Packit Gourmet if you want prepared meals you don't have to think about.

http://www.trailcooking.com/ is wonderful if you want to explore DIY strategies for eating "real" food on the trail.

For what it's worth, I find that my appetite actually throttles down during a hike and then shoots into high calorie mode a day or two afterwards. Weird.

[OutdoorOregonHiker]

I think Jerry has some good ideas. One thing that I had been searching for a very long time and finally picked up at a garage sale was a dehydrator. It has changed how I meal plan for hiking. There is so much you can do with it. You can dehydrate pretty much anything. Even eggs after cooked you can dehydrate. I found a recipe for dehydrated chili I am excited to give a try!

[retired jerry]

I cook pinto beans. With onion, garlic, spices. When they start getting done after an hour or whatever, I smash them, then put in a glass pan for maybe 8 hours at 170 F. I stir them up occasionally for even drying.

[Word Nerd]

So many great ideas! Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. Now I want to get out on a trip again!